Bessie smiled back at the very attractive man. “It’s lovely to see you, Simon,” she said. “ And you, Tammara,” she added, including Tammara Flynn in her greeting.
“We are so excited about next Saturday, I can’t even tell you,” Simon enthused. “Aren’t we, Tammy?”
The girl grinned. “We are, actually,” she agreed. “We’ve never been invited to a Thanksgiving dinner before and it sounds quite delightful.”
“I’m glad you’re looking forward to it,” Bessie said. “I must say, a few of your neighbours seem less enthusiastic. I’ve actually not heard from some of them.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Simon said with a shrug. “Tammy and I are the only fun ones around here. Except for Bahey and Howard, of course. You may have to go door-to-door to find out who’s planning to attend.”
“I might just do that,” Bessie said. “But not until after lunch with Bahey.”
Simon laughed. “I like a woman who has her priorities in order,” he told her. After giving her a hug, he and Tammara swept past Bessie on their way out. Bessie boarded the lift that was now waiting and pressed the button for the first floor.
When the lift doors opened, Bahey was standing in the upstairs corridor. “My goodness, that lift took ages,” she said as Bessie hugged her.
“I ran into Simon and Tammara,” Bessie explained.
“Ah, that explains it,” Bahey said with a laugh. “Anyway, come in.”
Bessie followed her friend into Bahey’s small but comfortable flat. Joney was settled on a chair in the small sitting area, but she got up when Bessie entered.
“Bessie, it’s been too long since we did this,” she said.
Bessie hugged her tightly. “We must make more of an effort,” she said.
“Of course, we’ll see you again at Thanksgiving,” Bahey said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Howard, as well,” Bessie said.
“You might not have to wait until Thanksgiving for that,” Bahey replied. “I’ve sent him away while we have lunch, but he’ll probably be back before too long.”
“You two are like teenagers,” Joney said. “You can’t bear to be apart for more than an hour or two.”
“Yep,” Bahey said happily. “It’s both weird and wonderful.”
Bessie laughed at the change in her friend. “I always like to see Howard,” she said.
Bahey served homemade steak and kidney pie with treacle sponge for pudding. While they ate, Joney brought Bessie up to date on her life in Foxdale. As she spooned up her last bite of treacle, Bessie decided to bring the conversation around to Jacob Conover.
“So, when you rang, you said you recognised Jacob’s watch,” Bessie reminded Bahey. “What do you remember about him?”
“He was bad news,” Joney said harshly.
“In what way?” Bessie asked.
“He nearly got our Karen into trouble,” Bahey said.
“What sort of trouble?” Bessie wondered.
“Not that sort,” Joney told her. “She wasn’t, that is, she was a good girl. But she was only seventeen and very innocent. When he told her he loved her, she believed him.”
“I didn’t realise he stayed with anyone long enough to start telling them he loved them,” Bessie said.
“Oh, he and Karen were together for about two months,” Bahey said. “He went out with a lot of other women at the same time, but he told her they were just window dressing, like, to hide the fact that he’d fallen in love with her.”
“But why would he need window dressing?” Bessie asked.
Bahey shrugged. “Maybe so Karen’s family wouldn’t worry?” she suggested. “But we did, and when we heard that he’d asked her leave the island with him, I took her away.”
“He asked her to leave with him?” Bessie asked in surprise.
Bahey nodded. “I rang Karen last night and had her tell me the story again,” she told Bessie. “They went out for a while and then he said he going back across and asked her to come with him. She actually considered it, but then she told her mum and her mum rang me and I arranged to take her with me back to my work.”
“I never heard any of this at the time,” Bessie said thoughtfully.
“Well, we didn’t tell anyone,” Bahey said. “We didn’t want anyone to think that Karen was the type to run off with a man like that, did we?”
“And she never heard from him again?” Bessie checked.
“Oh, he wrote once or twice, but I destroyed the letters before she saw them,” Bahey said.
“But if he wrote to her later, it can’t be his body we’ve found,” Bessie said in confusion.
“I took her with me in July,” Bahey told Bessie. “He wrote to her in August, but he was still on the island until September, right?”
Bessie nodded. “So he was thinking of leaving in July, but didn’t actually go until September. That’s interesting, but I’m not sure why.”
Joney and Bahey both laughed, and after a moment Bessie joined in. “I don’t think we’ve solved anything,” Bessie said after a bit.
“Karen was certain that the body is Jacob’s,” Bahey said. “She said the watch proves it.”
“Did she have any idea who might have wanted to kill him?” Bessie asked.
“She said he’d had some trouble with a farmer in Douglas,” Bahey reported. “Apparently, he’d offered to buy the man’s farm, but then, after he’d had it surveyed, he decided he didn’t want it. Jacob told Karen that the man was really angry about the deal falling through. That’s why Jacob moved to Laxey, to get away from that farmer.”
“I don’t suppose Karen knew the farmer’s name?” Bessie asked.
“She didn’t,” Bahey said. “At the time it wasn’t important to her.”
“It seems a fairly flimsy motive for murder,” Bessie speculated.
“He also left a few angry women in Douglas,” Bahey told her. “But Karen didn’t know their names, either.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I tell John Rockwell everything you’ve told me,” Bessie said.
“Of course not,” Bahey assured her. “I talked to Inspector Corkill once, but I suppose I should ring him again now that I’ve talked to Karen.”
“You should,” Bessie agreed. “He’ll be able to check out the Douglas connections to the case.”
“I’d rather you didn’t tell anyone else, though,” Bahey added. “Karen would rather people didn’t know anything about her relationship with Jacob. She’s quite happy for everyone to think she was just one of his casual dates.”
“I’ll keep it to myself,” Bessie promised.
“Karen wants to come over for whatever service they have for him over here,” Bahey said as Bessie prepared to leave. “She said she still has a spot in her heart for Jacob. He was the first man she ever loved.”
Bessie, who’d never really recovered from the loss of her first love, understood the sentiment perfectly. “I’d love to see her while she’s here,” she told Bahey.
“We’ll have to have lunch or something,” Bahey said.
“I shall have to knock on doors on my way out,” Bessie told Bahey. “There are a few people here who haven’t responded to my Thanksgiving invitation.”
“I’m not sure why you invited them all,” Bahey said. “You only lived here for a month, not even.”
“I know, but I haven’t had neighbours for many years,” Bessie told her. “The cottages around mine have been holiday cottages for a very long time. One of the strangest part of staying here was having other people all around me. I just thought it would be nice to see them all again.”
As Bessie reached the door, it suddenly swung open. “Ah, just in time to get a hug,” Howard Mayer beamed at Bessie.
It took several minutes to hear all about his daughter and the baby before Bessie could finally get on her way. She quickly moved across the corridor and knocked. She got no answer from Ruth Ansel’s flat, and it seemed that Muriel Kerry was out as well. She was lucki
er on her third attempt.
“Ah, Bessie, I did hope we’d see you again one day,” Bertie Ayers said, his eyes twinkling at her. “You certainly livened up the place when you were here. I don’t suppose you’d like to come back?”
“No, not even a little bit,” Bessie said, surprising them both with her blunt honesty. She laughed. “Sorry, but I love my home too much,” she explained. “I hope you’re planning to come to my Thanksgiving dinner?”
“Oh, aye, I forgot to ring you and let you know, though, didn’t I?” Bertie shook his head. “I’ll make it up to you by bringing my own gin, shall I?”
“Of course not,” Bessie said. “You’re not to bring anything but yourself.”
“Oh,” he said. He glanced around and then lowered his voice, even though the hallway was deserted. “I did wonder if I might bring a friend,” he whispered.
“Of course you can,” Bessie said in surprise. “Is it anyone I know?”
Bertie grinned. “Well, Muriel and I have been spending more time together, you see. I did think, that is, I thought she might like coming to your little gathering as a couple. I know you invited her as well, but, I well, anyway, it’ll upset Ruth, no doubt, but well, maybe it’s time I settled down a bit, don’t you think?”
“I’m very happy for you both,” Bessie said. “I’ll look forward to seeing you a week on Saturday.”
Bessie headed for the lift, mentally shaking her head at Bertie. Time to settle down? At sixty-something? Maybe it was, at that.
Bessie tried the flats on the first floor, but no one seemed to be at home. She’d just include them all in her count to the restaurant and see who turned up, she decided. In no particular hurry to get home, Bessie headed into the Douglas city centre for a wander around the shops. An hour later, she’d bought several things she hadn’t realised she needed and was ready to ring Dave.
She was coming out of the chemist when she nearly fell over as a toddler cut across her path. “Oh, dear, are you okay?” she asked the little girl, who looked up at her and burst in tears.
“Kylie, you mustn’t run away,” the pretty blonde woman who was two steps behind the girl gasped. “I’m ever so sorry,” she said to Bessie.
“Liz?” Bessie asked.
“Oh, goodness, Bessie? I’m even more sorry now,” Liz Martin said with a laugh. She gave Bessie a hug and then picked up the still sniffling child.
“This is Kylie, in case you didn’t realise,” Liz said.
Bessie smiled at the beautiful child. “She looks just like you,” she told Liz.
“Bill says so as well,” Liz told her. “But I suppose that’s only fair, as Jackson looks exactly like his father.”
“That does seem very fair,” Bessie agreed.
“I’m so glad I ran into you, actually,” Liz said. “I know I rang and said we’d come for the dinner next week, but I’m ever so worried about bringing the children. As you’ve seen, Kylie isn’t always the best-behaved child in the world. I’d hate for her to ruin your special event.”
“Thanksgiving is for families,” Bessie said insistently. “I’d love to have a whole room full of children, but I simply don’t know any others. They can’t do anything except run around and be noisy, and that’s not a problem, that’s part of what makes the holiday special.”
Liz looked doubtful. “I suppose, if they don’t behave, we can always leave early,” she said.
“It will be fine,” Bessie said. “It isn’t fancy or formal, it’s just a lot of food and a lot of good friends.”
“Thank you so much for including us,” Liz said.
“I so enjoyed taking Manx with you,” Bessie told her. “I hope you’re keeping it up.”
“I’m trying, but I have the advantage of living next door to Marjorie, of course.”
“And Marjorie will be there next week,” Bessie told her. “And Henry and Joney Quirk from our class as well.”
“Oh, it will be like a reunion,” Liz said happily. “Maybe we’ll have time to have a chat in Manx at some point.”
“Oh, I do hope not,” Bessie told her.
Liz laughed. “Maybe not, then.”
Bessie rang for her taxi as Liz dashed off, chasing her energetic toddler again. Dave had Bessie back in Laxey in time for her evening meal.
After she’d eaten, she rang John and told him everything she’d learned from Bahey.
“We need to find more of the women who went out with Jacob,” John said. “I want to know how many of them thought he was going to take them back across with him.”
“I can ring a few people tomorrow,” Bessie suggested. “Some of them might be happier talking to me than to the police.”
“That’s a great idea,” John said. “Any background information you can gather would be greatly appreciated.”
A short time later Bessie headed to bed. She felt restless, but she slept well.
Chapter Seven
Another rainy morning meant that Bessie was back in her waterproofs and Wellington boots for her walk. She kept it short again, just going far enough to wave to Thomas before heading for home.
With the breakfast dishes washed, dried, and back in the cupboards, she sat down with her telephone and began to ring a few of her many friends and acquaintances around Laxey. After an hour, she’d updated her copy of the list she’d given John with quite a few additional notes. She took a break for tea, and just moments after she’d put the phone down, it rang.
“Bessie, it’s John,” the voice said. “I was just about to start ringing around to try to track down a few of the women who went out with Jacob, and I thought I’d check with you first and see how you’re doing with them.”
“I’ve spoken to three women who went out with him,” Bessie reported. “All three said that they only went out with him two or three times and that it was just a bit of fun, nothing more.”
John noted the names of the women Bessie had reached. “What’s next on your agenda?” he asked Bessie.
“I’ve tracked down phone numbers for three of the women who are across now,” she said. “I was going to try ringing them, but maybe you’d prefer to do that?”
“Give me their details and leave them with me,” John said. “If we get a positive identification on the body soon, we might have them questioned by someone from their local station, rather than talk to them by telephone.”
“I’m still trying to find someone who might know what happened to Susan Black or Anna Long,” Bessie said. “I’ll keep working on them until after lunch. I have an appointment this afternoon to meet with one of the women on the list.”
“Which one?” John asked.
“Mona Kelly, although technically she’s Mona Smythe now,” Bessie replied. “She just happens to live in the same building as Sarah and Mike Combe and I’ve been promising them a visit for weeks. When I spoke with Mona, she didn’t want to talk on the telephone, so I suggested I should come and see her. After we talk, I’ll drop in on Sarah and Mike and save myself a separate trip to Port Erin.”
“I’m not sure I want you visiting suspects,” John said.
“Surely Mona Kelly isn’t a suspect,” Bessie replied.
“At this point, everyone on the island is a suspect,” John said. “We haven’t even identified the remains. If they do turn out to be Jacob Conover’s, the women he spent time with will have to be considered very seriously.”
“Mona is a sweet lady who wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Bessie told him. “Anyway, even if she killed Jacob all those years ago, she has no reason to do anything to me. We’re just going to have tea and a chat, that’s all.”
“Ring me when you arrive at her flat and then again when you leave,” John demanded.
“Oh, good heavens,” Bessie exclaimed. “I’m sure to forget. Please don’t storm her flat with a dozen armed men or anything. Mona and I would probably both have heart attacks.”
“Try not to forget,” John said. “You know I worry about you.”
“I know, but M
ona is sixty-three, not even five feet tall and I’m sure she doesn’t weigh more than eighty-five pounds. I’m certain I’m quite safe with her.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” John said. “But after everything you’ve been through this year, you ought to know that murderers come in all shapes and sizes.”
“You’re right, of course,” Bessie said. “I’ll try to remember to ring you.”
“Good. And good luck with finding our two missing women. I hope you can track them down. I’d like to talk to every woman he took out, and I don’t have the time or resources to track them down myself, at least not until we’re sure who we’ve found.”
“Who else could it be?” Bessie asked.
“That’s a very good question,” John told her. “If I had any ideas on that score, I’d be digging into them as well. For now, we’re working on the assumption that it’s Jacob Conover, at least in part because we don’t have any other possibilities.”
Bessie spent another hour on the phone, talking to various people. She learned a lot of interesting news about her friends and neighbours, but none of it was relevant to the case. No one was able to help her with her search for the two missing women.
After a light lunch, Bessie took a taxi to Port Erin. The driver her service sent was new to the job and to the island, so Bessie found herself giving him directions as they went. When he pulled into the car park for Mona’s building, Bessie gave him an encouraging smile.
“You will be able to find your way back to Douglas, won’t you?” she asked.
“I think so,” the man replied. “Although I’m tempted to take a long lunch break and simply wait here until you’re ready to go back.”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” Bessie told him. “I’m going to visit some friends. It could be several hours.”
He nodded. “I’m sure I’ll be fine,” he said cheerfully. “I’ll just keep heading north with the sea on my right.”
“That’s it exactly,” Bessie told him. “Thank you.”
She walked into the building and pressed the lift button, quickly ringing John while she waited. A few minutes later she was knocking on Mona’s door.
“Bessie, it’s so good to see you,” Mona said as she swung her door open.
Aunt Bessie Invites (An Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Book 9) Page 10